


Daddy's Lesson

by Reidluver



Category: Ouran High School Host Club - All Media Types
Genre: Family, Gen, large amounts of fluff, plenty of hugs, tickle-torture
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2012-07-02
Updated: 2012-07-02
Packaged: 2017-11-09 01:35:42
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 5
Words: 4,102
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/449797
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Reidluver/pseuds/Reidluver
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>On the surface, the Host Club is very diverse and jovial. Behind the scenes, they learn how similar they really are as Daddy teaches them that it's okay to show weakness to those you care about.</p>
            </blockquote>





	1. Tamaki

**Author's Note:**

> These take place before Haruhi came to Ouran

The first time it happened, none of the other Host members expected it, except perhaps Kyoya. And that was probably why it had been so effective.

They could all tell that Tamaki was a little off that day, yet with his superb acting skills the girls he entertained were unable to. After nearly a year of being together, it was natural that they had become close, yet none of them were quite aware of how close. They figured that it was just a friendship and none knew of the darker troubles that plagued one another. Each figured their problems were unique and rare, and were therefore ashamed. How could so many families of such high social status have problems like that?

As soon as the girls had left, Tamaki walked into one of the two private practice rooms and shut the door. Normally Kyoya would make a comment about everyone having to help clean up, but today was different. He had known Tamaki the longest.

Mori followed Kyoya's actions with his eyes, being the second most perceptive to Tamaki's uncharacteristic attitude. The twins were currently teasing Honey by holding a half-eaten cake out of his reach. They never saw the look on Mori's face. Wordlessly, he followed after Kyoya.

Tamaki was sitting in the dark with his back against the far wall. His legs were drawn up with his arms wrapped tightly around them. Kyoya knelt beside him and placed a comforting hand on his shoulder.

"It's not your fault," Kyoya said sternly.

Tamaki laughed dryly. "I don't know what you mean by that." He didn't raise his head.

"You know perfectly well what I mean."

Mori came up to the two boys and stared down at them. Kyoya looked up at him sadly, abandoning his regular "cool" attitude. The blonde still kept his head down.

The tall boy knelt down as well and then gently cupped his hand underneath Tamaki's chin and lifted it up. Honest tears were falling freely down Tamaki's face—not the silly ones he shed when overreacting. They were real.

"M-Mori-senpai?" The silent boy flashed a rare smile and then pulled Tamaki into a hug. Tamaki's eyes opened wide in surprise at such an unexpected move, yet it felt so warm and soothing he didn't care. He hugged Mori back and buried his face into his shoulders. His thin frame shook softly.

It was this scene that the twins and Honey walked in on. After they got bored of teasing Honey they noticed they were the only ones in the main room.

"What's wrong, Tama-chan?" Honey asked. Tamaki pulled apart from Mori and leaned against the wall. He wiped away his tears and tried to revert to his usual self.

"Oh . . . it's nothing."

Kyoya folded his arms in irritation. "His grandmother's being a bi—"

"How dare you talk about my grandmother that way!" Tamaki grabbed the neck of Kyoya's shirt and pulled him close. "It's my fault I got in trouble."

Kyoya glared at Tamaki, reminding the rest of the club how fierce he could really be. "That's a bunch of crap and you know it. You can hide what's really going on to other people as much as you want, but lying to yourself is unforgivable." His face softened. "And you can tell your friends about your problems. That's what we're here for."

Tamaki's hands shook as he stared at his friend in shock. He let out something that sounded like a mix between a laugh and a sob and released Kyoya. "She really does hate me," he said quietly.

"Why would your grandmother hate you?" the twins asked in unison. They turned their heads to the side, trying to ascertain the reason. It was obvious that Tamaki's obnoxious attitude could get on one's nerves, but it had to be deeper than that for their lord to be moved to tears such as those.

"It's all because of how I was born," their king said bitterly. "It's not like I could help how I was born." There was silence for a moment as the twins recalled back on what they had learned from digging into Tamaki's past earlier that year. They hadn't given much thought to it, but now his grandmother's animosity towards him would make sense.

Honey's eyes watered with sympathy and he jumped into Tamaki's lap. "We don't mind about that! We like Tama-chan for who he is!"

"Yeah, you're our dad after all," Hikaru said.

"It means we're forced to like you," Kaoru teased.

Tamaki smiled up at them warmly. "Thanks guys. You made Daddy very happy."

"Whenever I'm sad, Usa-chan helps me feel better!" Honey reached behind his back and pulled out a brown teddy bear. "I'm sure Kuma-chan can help you as well! You should give him a hug to be happy." Tamaki laughed and hugged his special toy.

"Thank you, Honey-senpai." He placed the bear besides him and hugged the small boy. Mori and Kyoya each laid a hand on Tamaki's shoulders, offering their silent support.

The twins glanced sideways at each other as an evil grin grew on their faces. After a quick nod they turned their attention back to the four in front of them.

"DOG PILE!"


	2. Kyoya

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> It was difficult trying to come up with something that would rattle Kyoya enough to make him emotional in front of the others, so I hope it works!

It was like that incident broke the limits and boundaries they had subconsciously placed on their friendship. After learning that Tamaki of all people, the one who was so carefree and happy, had a more complex side to him; they were able to discover things weren't always what they seemed.

The next one to require their services was mommy. It was about a week after learning about Tamaki when Kyoya walked into the practice room immediately once the girls had vacated the room. Tamaki had noticed right away and rushed after him, while the others noticed once they both were gone. A few quick nods were all they needed and they made their way over to join them.

Kyoya just stared out into space, looking defeated. His composure wasn't as clean-cut as usual; his shirt wrinkled, tie lying loosely against his neck, and his hair stuck out randomly.

Tamaki was quite enraged at their intrusion. "Hey! Mommy and Daddy are having a very intimate moment right now!" He scolded them with his arm around Kyoya protectively.

Honey folded his arms and pouted. "We can be worried about mommy, too!" He then rushed forward and sat in Kyoya's lap, confirming that this was _his_ spot.

"Awww, come on!" the twins whined, sitting near Kyoya's feet. "We're the real babies of this family! You're the oldest!" Honey stuck out his tongue.

"But I'm also the smallest!" Kyoya was unable to fight back a few laughs and he reached out for the twins and ruffled their hair.

"You're still the babies," he joked. The twins were unable to keep a wide grin off their face.

"What's wrong, Kyoya?" Mori asked in his deep voice, sitting down on the opposite side of where Tamaki sat. The boy pushed back his glasses and tried to keep his voice level.

"I—I just . . . I . . . I made a mistake," he whispered. "But I can't afford _any_ mistakes!" he said in a furious tone. "I need to prove to my father that I can be in charge of the business."

"You're the smartest guy I know!" Tamaki offered helpfully. "Should be no problem." Kyoya bit his lip as his eyes became misty.

"I-I-I . . . don't know about t-that anymore," he managed to say.

"What's wrong?" Hikaru asked. Both twins were looking serious for once.

"We won't judge you," Mori said.

There was silence for a few moments as Kyoya summoned the strength and energy to admit it. "I got a B on the last history test!" he yelled finally. Then he broke into sobs and buried his face into his hands. Everyone stared at him in dismay before the twins burst out laughing.

"You're worried about a _B?_ We get B's all the time and we're okay!"

"You don't understand!" Kyoya shouted. "I've never gotten anything less than an A in my life! My father will kill me!" The twins stopped laughing immediately.

Honey looked up at Kyoya sadly and held one of his hands, causing the distraught boy to look down at him. "Everyone makes mistakes, so don't hurt yourself over it, okay?"

"But I can't afford any," Kyoya protested weakly. "I have to be perfect."

"No one's perfect," Tamaki said. "Your father should understand that, and if you explain to him that you will do whatever you can to stop it from happening again he should believe you."

"And your grade point average won't be affected that badly if everything else is an A," Mori said. He smiled and placed a hand on Kyoya's head.

"Thanks."

Tamaki cleared his throat for everyone's attention, looking deadly serious. When he noticed he had it, he held up a finger. "Now as the head of this household, I _order_ you—" (he paused for effect) "—to tickle mommy!"

" _WHAT?_ "

"Good idea, dad!" the twins cheered. Before Kyoya could do anything he was assaulted by the twins, Honey, and Tamaki. He did his best to fight them off but there were too many of them and he succumbed to the torture.

"N-n-no! Please st-st-stop!" he laughed. Kyoya had a beautiful laugh. "Please—stop!" He turned to Mori. "M-M-Mori-senpai! Hel-help me!" His fellow dark-haired friend frowned in contemplation for a moment, then reached out and pulled Kyoya away from the others.

"Awww, that's no fair!" They all glared at Mori and pouted.

"How dare you disobey your father like that!"

"Thank you so much," Kyoya said as he straightened his glasses. He turned his head to look at Mori. "I was afraid that—" The rare mischievous smirk on Mori's lips stopped him in his tracks. Kyoya had never been this scared of Mori before.

The tall boy glanced back towards the others and grabbed Kyoya's arms, pulling them apart. "I've got him." All four of them stared at Mori in disbelief before their smirks matched his own.

"Don't let go!"

In unison they leapt forward and attacked Kyoya with the most ferocious tickling the world had ever seen.

" _GYAAAAHHHHH!"_


	3. Mori

The tears flowed silently down Mori's face.

"So you cry without saying anything, too?" Kaoru observed in amazement.

"Please tell us what's wrong, Takashi!" Honey pleaded. Mori stared at Honey for a moment, opened his mouth, then shut it quickly with a shake of his head.

"Come on, now!" Tamaki said. "How can we help you feel better if you don't say anything?" The twins nodded along.

"We're your friends, remember?" Kyoya offered with a smile.

Mori sighed and glanced down at his trembling hands. The tears were still flowing and they made everything blurry. He tried opening his mouth again but all that came out were sobs. Embarrassed, he pulled his legs in and tried to hide his face with his hands.

All the others watched Mori in shock and concern. They had never known Mori could be that emotional, and the contrasting loud sobs made their hearts clench.

"Takashi!" Honey wailed before wrapping his entire body around Mori's chest. Hikaru and Kaoru felt a few tears fall down their faces as well and they copied Honey, each taking a side and enveloping Honey between them like a sandwich. Kyoya and Tamaki felt themselves moved as well and they joined in on the hug (Kyoya of course with more control than Tamaki), now trapping the twins beneath them.

No words needed to be said, but each of them felt the same helplessness from watching Mori break down like that. They could always feel safe with Mori's comforting and silent presence nearby. His unwavering demeanor was a constant in their lives that they could depend on when everything else would fluctuate daily.

He also seemed invincible. Mori was the tall, quiet giant who was always there to protect them. While his main concern would seem to be Honey, they knew they were all included in his sphere of protection. They were proud to feel like the cubs of the mother bear Mori, because if anyone tried to mess with them, Mori would attack without a second thought.

It was distressing to see him so vulnerable and emotional that he couldn't talk. They could feel his entire body shake underneath them like a frightened animal. Each of them hugged Mori tighter and they cried along, sharing in his pain and hoped that this time _they_ could protect _him_.

As Mori's sobs subsided into hiccups, they slowly pulled away and glanced up at him.

"You can't bottle up your feelings like that, Taka-chan," Honey said in a shaky voice. "I don't like to see you hurt."

"None of us do," Tamaki said softly. Kyoya reached for something sitting on a nearby chair and held it out.

"Figured we might need it in here from now on," he said as he held out a box of tissues. Mori let out a strangled laugh and wiped his face. When he was finished he looked at each of them in turn and smiled.

"Thank you. All of you mean a lot to me."

Hikaru laughed. "Of course!"

"We are a family after all," Kaoru said.

"Daddy says group hug for big brother!" They all laughed at Tamaki's declaration and jumped onto Mori, who wrapped them all with his long, strong arms. There was silence for a few moments as they enjoyed each other's company.

"Uh . . . Mori-senpai?"

"WE CAN'T BREATHE!"

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I feel horrible that Mori's is so short since he's my favorite, but he's a man of short words! This kind of story fits him better I think.
> 
> Oh, and since people have been asking, there isn't really one issue that made Mori start crying. It was more of an accumulation. He had disregarded his problems for so long that the just burst through and he had no way of stopping it.


	4. Honey

Honey didn't even make it into the practice room. The moment the door shut after the last guest left he fell to his knees and started crying, clutching Usa-chan tightly against his chest. A worried Mori was at his side in an instant, carefully glancing him over for any visible injuries.

"What's wrong, Mitskuni?" Mori asked, placing a comforting hand on his shoulder. Honey just cried harder and rushed into Mori's arms.

"Maybe he got a stomach-ache from all those cakes?" Kaoru suggested.

"Let's move to the back," Tamaki said softly. Mori nodded and picked up the small second-year. Kyoya and Tamaki led the way, while the twins carried the rear.

"What's wrong, Honey-sempai?"

"M-m-my . . . my brother says he hates me!" Honey burst into tears again and clung to Mori. Everyone's eyes widened at the announcement. How could anyone hate him?

"I think that should be a crime," Kaoru whispered to Hikaru, who nodded in agreement.

"I'm sure he's just going through a little phase," Tamaki said gently, being the first to recover. "There's no way anyone could hate you." He reached out and patted Honey's back.

"While I never did it, it's normal for most younger brothers to act like this at one point," Kyoya said.

"Oh _really?_ " Hikaru and Kaoru asked, folding their arms.

"Yes." Kyoya pushed up his glasses and looked at the twins with slight annoyance. "While I've never said I hate them, I have found them to be rather difficult to handle from time to time."

"Sure."

"It's not just a phase!" Honey wailed. "He really, really, _really_ hates me!"

"What has he done to make you think that?" Tamaki asked.

"Yasuchika got glasses even though he doesn't need them just so he won't look like me! He never wasn't to train with me anymore, and whenever he can he finds a way to be busy so we can't eat meals together! The only time he speaks to me is to challenge me to a fight, and he doesn't want to take baths with me anymore!" The rest of the Host club paled at the last statement.

"Uh, Honey-sempai? I'm pretty sure most people wouldn't want to bathe with an second-year," Kaoru said.

"You two do!" Honey protested.

The twins just laughed. "That's because we're different!" Hikaru said as he slung an arm around Kaoru. That just made Honey cry harder.

"Yasuchika and I used to have a lot of fun together! Why is this happening?" The others were silent for a while, contemplating on the best thing to say that could cheer up Honey. True, he was older than all of them, but his big, crocodile tears and small physique tricked them into thinking they were dealing with a young child. Only a person with no soul could resist his cries.

Hikaru and Kaoru reached out for each other's hand without realizing it, both wondering about what it would be like if they were in Honey's place. None of them had ever gotten angry with each other before, and the thought of some day being that mad at the other scared them. Kyoya was rather unbiased, having never had much of a relationship with his brothers. He appreciated the challenge they presented him with, because only by pushing yourself was one able to improve. In a way, he had his brothers to thank for the person he was today.

Tamaki had no experience to speak of in the area of siblings, but he tried to think of something all the same. He would have to rely on what he read in stories or saw in movies. Mori felt great sympathy for Honey, though sadly he couldn't relate since Satoshi seemed to worship the ground he walked on. Although the young boy was quite the opposite from him, the second-year rather enjoyed the time he got to spend with his brother. The thought of Satoshi hating him hurt Mori deeply. With Yasuchika however, it didn't necessarily seem like he hated Honey too much. What had Satoshi said yesterday?

"Satoshi mentioned something about Yasuchika wanting to defeat you in a match."

"That's it!" Tamaki exclaimed. He put his hands on Honey's shoulders. "Your brother just wishes to surpass you!"

"Huh?"

"It's quite simple, actually!" Tamaki slipped into his dramatic storytelling mode with ease. "You dear younger brother admires your abilities so much that it has become his greatest desire to train himself to be at your level so you can acknowledge him. Yes! It's a classic tale of the brother who wants to gain the respect of the one he looks up to!"

"Really?" Honey dried his eyes and looked up at Tamaki with hope. "He just wants to show me how good he is?"

"Of course!" Tamaki grasped Honey's hands. "You just have to keep accepting his challenges and give him hints on how to improve."

Honey beamed. "Hear that, Usa-chan? Yasuchika doesn't really hate me!"

"Of course he doesn't!" Kaoru said, messing up Honey's hair.

"No one could hate you, Honey-sempai," Hikaru added.

"This calls for a celebration!" Tamaki announced.

Kyoya merely smiled and leaned against the wall. "We have some leftover cake from hosting today."

Mori shook his head and glanced at Honey. "Why don't we try out that new dango shop?"

Honey beamed. "Do you think they'll have cake?" His cousin smiled and effortlessly lifted Honey onto his shoulders.

"I'm sure they do."

"On to the dango shop!" Their laughter reverberated throughout the school as they made their way outside. The Chairman watched them leave from his window with a faint smile. He knew his son would have no problem making friends. They were all perfect for each other.


	5. Chapter 5

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I was originally going to give them separate chapters, but seeing as how this is early on in their friendship with everyone else they really haven't started down the path to being a little more separate, so I felt this worked.

"I look forward to seeing you tomorrow, Princess Aiko," Tamaki said gracefully. He bowed at the waist and held the door open for their last guest. The girl giggled and said she was excited as well.

Kyoya walked up to the twins and glanced at his notebook. "It would seem that you have been distracted today, Hikaru. Thankfully our guests were unable to notice, but I would ask that you solve whatever problem you may have so it does not interfere with club activities."

"Oh, shut up!" Hikaru glared at Kyoya and slammed his fist on the table. "You really don't care about anything, do you? Well, maybe I don't want to be in the club anymore!" Kaoru stood up and grasped his brother's arm.

"Hikaru, stop that! Think about what you're—"

"Just give it up, Kaoru. You just stay here and have fun." With that Hikaru started storming off towards the main doors, leaving Kaoru standing there, looking shocked and hurt.

There was a flash of yellow, pink, and blue, and suddenly Hikaru found his path blocked by Honey. The second-year held out his arms in an attempt to stop Hikaru from moving any further. "Hika-chan? What's wrong? I know you don't really want to leave the Host Club, so what's bothering you?"

Everyone was silent as they waited for Hikaru to answer. His fists were clenched and he shook from his barely controlled anger. Finally, he spoke. "L-Last night . . . Kaoru and I overheard our parents talking about us! They said that we were spending too much time together and we needed to be more individual! A-and . . . and so . . . "

"And so they plan to send us to two different camps over the summer," Kaoru cut in, staring at the floor. He had taken a few steps toward Hikaru, but there was still a few feet between them, as if they were already trying to get used to the separation.

"How can they do that?" Tamaki exclaimed. While he felt it was good that the two of them expand their world, the Host King knew that something like that was just too extreme. What kind of parents would do that? "It's not fair to you!"

"Don't you think we know that?" Hikaru yelled. He blinked furiously but was unable to stop the tears from falling. "It's all their fault anyway!"

"Huh?" It was obvious Hikaru was unable to speak anymore and Tamaki put his arms around the boy.

"It's because they were always gone," Kaoru cried, tears flowing silently down his face. His entire frame shook and he covered his face with his hands. Mori quickly put his arms around him and pulled him close. "The only ones we had were us," Kaoru continued, his voice muffled by Mori's jacket. "It felt like we were all each other had, since our parents couldn't care enough to stick around. Hikaru is the most important person to me—I can't last a full summer without him!"

After a few minutes of silence, Kyoya stepped forward. "How about we move to the couches?" he said quietly. Then they all sat down with Kyoya and Honey sitting across from Tamaki and Mori with the twins between them. Hikaru and Kaoru immediately grasped each other's hand.

"So . . . what exactly did your parents say, Hika-chan and Kao-chan?" Honey asked.

The two of them drew a deep, shuddering breath to calm down. "Our mom said that it wasn't healthy how we did everything together, and then our dad suggested that we spend a summer apart. He said that it would force us to make new friends and not depend so much on each other."

"But that's what makes you unique!" Tamaki said. "Don't they understand the beauty of being a twin?"

"Guess not," they mumbled.

Kyoya adjusted his glass and leaned forward, looking contemplative. "So it seems that the plan is to show your parents that while you are very close, you still can make friends."

"Yeah! We're your friends, right Hika-chan, Kao-chan?" The twins were unable to keep a tiny smile off their face.

"Yeah, you guys are."

"I've got it!" Tamaki said, slamming a fist into the palm of his hand. "Since you two need to prove to your parents that you can still be together and make friends—" (he paused for dramatic effect) "—we're going to go on a summer vacation together!"

The twins perked up at that. "Really?"

"Why not?" Tamaki said. "You'd get to be together but at the same time you'd be surrounded by us, your loyal friends! Your parents can't help but like it!"

"That sounds awesome!" Honey exclaimed, hopping up and down on the couch.

Kyoya smiled. "I see no harm in that."

"Where should we go?" Hikaru asked.

"What about Bali? Or the Caribbean Islands?" Kaoru said.

"I like the Caribbean Islands," Mori said.

"Then the Caribbean it is! Does that work for everyone?" They all nodded. "Let's tell your parents right now!"

As everyone was getting ready to leave, Hikaru and Kaoru turned to each other, grateful tears shining in their eyes.

"Now we don't have to be separated," Kaoru said quietly.

Hikaru looked at the floor in shame. "Listen . . . I'm really sorry about what I said earlier—"

"Shhh." Kaoru put a finger to his lips. "You don't have to apologize for that."

"Thanks. I love you, Kaoru." He pulled his twin into a tight embrace.

"I love you, too, Hikaru."


End file.
